twenty second Might 2025
Studying Time: 10 minutes
Romance books have all the time been a preferred style – however ‘spicy’ books have a brand new and big readership because of a number of high-profile books recently (Sarah J Maas, we’re you). For those who’ve all the time wished to generate income writing books, and you’ve got a inventive creativeness, this may very well be an effective way to generate income. Right here’s your complete information to writing erotica, closed-door romance, and all the pieces in-between!
What’s Romance as a Style?
Romance writing spans a really broad spectrum of varieties of books. There’s one apparent frequent theme: individuals fall in love. However aside from that, nearly something goes!
A current increase in ‘romantasy’ blends romance with fantasy books, and this has launched an entire new technology to romance writing (and studying). However there are many differing types. You may both self publish or historically publish, relying on how shortly you need to generate income and the way a lot management you need over the publishing course of.
How Spicy Do I Have to Be?
‘Spicy’ is a time period used for erotic writing that’s graphic and/or specific, whereas extra ‘conventional’ romance is usually referred to as ‘closed door’. It means you get hints of what occurs, however most is left as much as the reader’s creativeness because it occurs ‘behind closed doorways’. Spicy books are sometimes very specific, so you want to be comfy with writing R-rated issues!
The excellent news is there are audiences for all ranges of ‘spice’. So, should you’re not comfy writing specific intercourse scenes, you’ll be able to nonetheless generate income writing romance books.
How Do I Write a Romance E book?
Whereas it’s now simpler than ever to publish your writing because of eBooks and platforms like Amazon, Kobo, and Apple Books, you continue to have to put within the work if you wish to make constant cash out of your romance writing!
Listed below are a number of necessary issues to contemplate.
Learn, Learn, Learn!
To start with, earlier than you even set pen to paper or fingers to typewriter, ensure you know your style. Get your palms on a library card, or signal as much as a free trial of Kindle Limitless, and browse as a lot romance fiction you will get your palms on. That is the very best masterclass you’ll be able to take once you’re studying learn how to write romance novels.
Take note of frequent themes and tropes, what you prefer to learn and what turns you off (pun meant), and this can enable you to form an thought of what sort of romance author you need to be. It should additionally present you what’s a bit too generally seen, the unhealthy sorts of tropes you need to keep away from, and hopefully spark concepts about how one can sort out them in a recent new means.
You Don’t Want Particular Software program… However It Might Assist
You may write a novel in Google Docs, Phrase, or another phrase processing software program. Nevertheless, as you construct your romance world and get to know your characters and plot, it may be loads of info to wrangle. That’s why there are some novel-specific software program choices on the market you may prefer to strive, some are free and fundamental like yWriter, whereas others are paid however have extra performance, comparable to Scrivener and Novlr.
You may get 20% off Scrivener should you enter MAGPIE at checkout. (This isn’t a sponsored hyperlink or advert).
If you wish to self-publish your books as ebooks, formatting software program will be actually useful. With Home windows, Atticus is probably the most generally used, whereas Vellum is for Macs. They assist flip your manuscript right into a correctly formatted e book with out hours and hours of onerous work!
(There has lately been a web based controversy about Vellum, the place some individuals have confused it with Vellum AI. Vellum has been round for over a decade, and is a formatting software program – suppose Phrase on steroids – whereas Vellum AI is one thing launched in 2025 and is for laptop builders. They’re two very various things and Vellum is NOT an AI programme).
Romance E book Size
Romance is often between 50,000 phrases for business (‘chick lit’) as much as 80,000 for historic romance. Romantasy books that mix romance and fantasy genres are typically longer, as much as round 100,000 phrases, but it surely doesn’t need to be that lengthy.
You can too strive your hand at quick reads. Amazon Kindle determines the size of a learn by the web page numbers – you’ll be able to’t set this in your add metadata, however typically should you stick inside sure web page limits you’ll come up in the precise search filters.
The tough web page rely for brief reads could be:
- quarter-hour – 1 to 11 pages
- half-hour – 12 to 21 pages
- 45 minutes – 22 to 32 pages
- One hour – 33 to 43 pages
- 90 minutes – 44 to 64 pages
- Two hours or extra – 65 to 100 pages
That is e book pages, reasonably than variety of pages in phrase. A e book web page is round 280 phrases. So, a 30-minute learn at 15 pages lengthy could be round 4,200 phrases. These quick tales do notably effectively when enrolled in Kindle Limitless, which is good for brand new writers to construct their model – the returns are smaller, however extra persons are more likely to learn your e book.
You Want a Plot
Romance isn’t nearly individuals falling in love and doing impolite issues to one another! Readers of romance love the story of why individuals fall in love, out of affection, and even after they’re torn between loving two individuals. Plot is essential in romance books, however there are some key moments most could have, together with:
- A meet cute of the couple-to-be
- A honeymoon section
- The issue turning level (have they got a partner or accomplice already? Does another person come into their lives? and so on)
- An argument between the lovers
- Both an ending the place they get again collectively for good (referred to as a cheerful ever after) or no less than within the short-term (referred to as ‘completely happy for now’)
Take into consideration what it’s that makes individuals fall out and in of affection. Spicy books are nice at specializing in the bodily components of relationships, however romance readers are a wise viewers they usually’ll need greater than floor lust to maintain them studying. Figuring out who your characters are, what their intention is and the obstacles they face to get to it, and why they find yourself in love are all necessary plot factors you want to embody.
Assume About Your Viewers
It helps to have a transparent viewers in thoughts earlier than you begin writing. This may affect the tone of your writing, how specific you’re with intimate scenes, and the kind of plot you’ll write. For instance, some older readers choose basic Mills and Boon ‘light closed door romance’ whereas there’s a rising development for girls of their 20s and 30s to get pleasure from notably ‘spicy’ novels. Having a few ‘very best readers’ in thoughts once you’re writing will enable you to keep on observe and focus the ‘model’ of your e book.
Choose Your Protagonist Properly
Your predominant character must be somebody who’s a go-getter, even when they’re naturally timid. They should have a cause to alter throughout the e book – this may very well be as a result of they’ve moved from a village to a metropolis (or vice versa), have a brand new job, go on vacation or related. A change in circumstance and/or location is often what makes characters hunt down new issues – and that’s what drives the plot of a romance e book.
Whereas your character will be anybody, typically your protagonist can be feminine, as the vast majority of romance readers are ladies. You may have male or non-binary views, however there’s a smaller area of interest for them. Many romance authors love to do ‘twin POV’ or twin viewpoint, which suggests you write one chapter in your protagonist’s voice and one other within the antagonist (or second protagonist) voice and alternate via the e book to offer completely different views. That is notably helpful for telling the story in a broader means, reasonably than sticking in a single character’s head – however it may be tough to do, so takes some observe.
For those who resolve on twin POV, be very cautious to not ‘head hop’. That is once you change inside ideas from one character to a different in the identical scene. It’s complicated for the reader! So stick to at least one scene, one individual’s interior ideas – then you’ll be able to all the time change the character within the subsequent scene.
Discover a Proofreader
Earlier than you publish or ship your e book to an agent to get revealed, you want to have another person learn your e book. There are several types of editors, costing completely different quantities. A developmental editor may be very deep-dive and can work on the construction and story of your romance novel. A replica editor or line editor will enhance how your sentences circulation and fact-check issues to ensure you don’t make any obtrusive errors. The most affordable choice is a proofreader, who reads the e book and highlights your spelling and grammar errors.
It would really feel onerous to pay earlier than you get any earnings out of your e book, however should you’re the one individual studying it you’ll be able to simply miss errors since you’ve been staring on the similar pages for weeks! proofreader will enable you to deliver your e book as much as customary. It’s necessary for whether or not you’re self publishing or sending to an agent. There are various companies out there on-line – be a part of some writing teams on Fb and ask for private referrals from different writers (don’t simply go together with the primary one who approaches you to promote their companies!).
First, with self publishing, it is very important keep away from spelling and grammatical errors which may delay your readers – and with platforms like Kindle Limitless, you’re paid by the variety of pages which can be learn. So that you need individuals to maintain studying!
Secondly, if you wish to be observed by a writer or agent, you want your manuscript to be in the very best form doable to get their consideration. Errors can cease them studying and reject the e book, which suggests you’ll have to begin the lengthy question course of once more.
Do I Want an Agent to Publish My Romance Novel?
Sure or no! There are two causes each solutions are true.
Self publishers don’t want an agent – they will publish no matter they need, every time they need. However as we talked about earlier, additionally they need to do all of the advertising and enterprise facet of promoting romance novels, too.
Some conventional publishers, like Mills and Boon (learn extra beneath) will settle for e book submissions from somebody who doesn’t have an agent. There aren’t many locations that do that, they usually’re very aggressive, however it’s a means in to the trade if you will get it.
Most conventional publishers will solely take submissions from an agent. This implies you want to get literary illustration earlier than you’ll be able to take into consideration publishing. This tends to be extra for business ladies’s fiction or high-profile genres like romantasy.
The place Can I Publish My Romance E book?
You may select to self publish your e book on platforms like Amazon, or historically publish to get your e book into retailers. There are professionals and cons to each.
Self publishing provides you complete management over what you write, when it’s revealed, and also you obtain a better proportion of sale income. Nevertheless, you additionally have to design your e book cowl, run your PR, and proceed to market the e book as soon as it’s revealed, all of which may value cash and take loads of time to study and perform. You don’t get an advance fee with self publishing, so that you want some funds to get began.
Conventional publishing is traditionally extra ‘prestigious’, however that issues much less as of late. Nevertheless, you’ll have an editor and advertising group behind the e book should you handle to promote it to a writer, so that you don’t need to do all the pieces as you do with self publishing. Additionally, you will be paid an advance should you promote the e book, however make a smaller proportion on royalties.
Publishing on Amazon
It is extremely straightforward for anyone to self publish on Amazon and related platforms. You want to have a completed e book that’s in a e book format – software program like Vellum will help you with this, or there are Phrase templates on-line you need to use.
You want a number of issues earlier than you’ll be able to hit publish:
- A e book cowl
- A again blurb (the quick description on the again of the e book to entice readers)
- The manuscript
- An ISBN quantity (two should you plan to permit for bodily copies to be bought)
- Social media artwork for promotion
- Quick descriptions for meta information
- A listing of key phrases that relate to your e book to assist individuals discover it in searches
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is the commonest platform for brand new writers to begin on. There’s a useful tutorial on the web site, and plenty of YouTube movies for extra in-depth classes concerning the nuances of selling your romance e book.
Publishing Mills and Boon Books
If self publishing sounds too difficult, otherwise you need the status of being a historically revealed creator, Mills and Boon are probably the most well-known title in romance. The sensible information is that you just don’t have to have an agent to undergo them – which may be very uncommon on this planet of conventional publishing!
There are some pointers to comply with earlier than you submit. Learn their submission pointers on the web site – and ensure you know which imprint you need to undergo, too. Totally different imprints are like completely different manufacturers beneath the Mills and Boon umbrella, they usually every have a particular voice, viewers, and varieties of story.
Mills and Boon Fashionable – has a hero keen to take cost, however the heroine has a feisty facet to her. Assume worldwide glitz and glamour for this collection.
Mills and Boon True Love – this collection is about relatable ladies and deeply fascinating males, with out graphic scenes however intense emotion and rigidity.
Mills and Boon Medical – the clue is within the title right here, with medical settings taking the foreground, and devoted medical professionals with hearts of gold who work collectively.
Mills and Boon Historic – each time interval as much as the Fifties and each degree of spice is accepted, with dynamic characters who’ve relatable conflicts
Harlequin Books
Mills and Boon even have Harlequin books, which is one other sort of novel. They’re extra cross-genre than the above imprints. The Intrigue submission pointers state that books with thriller storylines round 55,000 phrases are welcomed. The Suspense submission pointers state that imprint is for extra advanced, sustained suspense romance tales round 70,000 phrases lengthy.
Getting Began Sources
The web is your pal! There are such a lot of wonderful YouTube channels and podcasts and Substacks, it’s too many to record, however these ones are nice for newbie writers – some are romance-specific, whereas others enable you to study extra concerning the craft of writing and in addition self-publishing.
YouTube Channels
Podcasts, Web sites, and Newsletters
